We started a series on medical myths in the Ghanaian social space, identifying which ones are blatant falsehoods, which are misconceived truths and which ones are true, and therefore not myths at all. This concluding article looks at a few more of these assertions that have become part of regular discourse and have governed people’s actions since time immemorial.
Frequently cracking your knuckles will cause arthritis of the hands- UNTRUE
It would make sense that snapping something would cause it to be weak or damaged. However, the noise that comes with cracking the knuckles- or popping the joint as some may call it- is a result of displacement of air bubbles in the fluid in the joint space, not from cracks in the cartilage covering the bones. Cracking the knuckles has not been documented to be a risk factor for arthritis of the hands.
[contextly_sidebar id=”9HUmaXbmdAD3BSeeqXqlNHSmsMg1dz94″]Actually, in a study involving 300 people in the USA, no link was found between knuckle-cracking, or its frequency, and the development of arthritis. As it stands, the established risk factors for arthritis of the hands remain increasing age, a family history of the condition, previous accidents of the hands and a lifetime of working with your hands doing heavy labour. The only true problem with cracking the knuckles seems to be the irking of the bystander; popping the joints can be irritating, and it seems scaring the popper with the possibility of developing arthritis will get him to stop. But really, there is no risk of arthritis at all.
3-monthly deworming is a must for all- MISCONCEPTION
It is true that regular deworming is advised for children, and in Ghana regular deworming is recommended for children from the age of 2 years. This is because a high worm infestation can lead to anaemia, which retards growth and development. The recommended frequency is 6-monthly (twice a year), not 3-monthly. Adults do not need to take dewormers as regularly as children since they are not exposed to the same risks that make it easy for children to become infested with worms- i.e. playing barefoot in contaminated soil and eating soil. An adult need not take prophylaxis for worms if he/she is well and does not work or play barefoot in soil.
Drinking tomato juice prevents constipation- TRUE
Tomato juice contains a high content of fibre, which is known to absorb water in the large intestines and make the stool soft. Tomato juice thus helps prevent constipation. However, it is not the only way; other fruits like oranges, apples and pineapples contain just as much or even more fibre. So, if tomato juice does not sit well with you, don’t force yourself to drink it; there are other routes to free bowels.
You can catch an STD (STI) from a toilet seat- UNTRUE
A sexually transmitted disease (or infection) is so called because sexual intercourse, or intimate contact, is required for its transmission. The organisms that cause STIs do not survive outside their human host for long, and definitely not on a cold toilet seat. An STI can never be contracted from a toilet seat- nature would be unfair if that were the case. In the same vein, women do not get urinary tract infections after using public toilets- it is mainly a matter of personal hygiene.
Typhoid fever is a chronic illness- MISCONCEPTION
Typhoid fever, like other gastrointestinal infections, is treatable with antimicrobial agents. After such treatment, most people are well and free of the infection. A very small percentage (2-5%) go on to become chronic carriers; these carriers are not ill themselves, but spread the infection to others if they, the carriers, do not maintain good personal hygiene. Typhoid fever is not considered a chronic infection so do not ascribe every fever and abdominal pain or constipation and headache or diarrhea and general malaise or anything really to “my typhoid”, which you were treated for many months or for some, years, ago. I must add that after treatment for typhoid fever, there is no need to have another test to ensure that the typhoid is “all gone”. Getting well is enough proof.
You will catch a cold if you expose yourself to cold weather or drink a lot of cold water- UNTRUE
Drinking iced water, sleeping with the air-condition vent directed at you or relaxing directly under the fan are things many mothers have warned many children not to do, because they will catch a cold. Well, it is false; none of these will cause a cold. Just because it is called a cold does not mean it is brought on by cold weather or cold drinks. A cold is a viral infection of the upper respiratory tract, transmitted from one person to the next via respiratory droplets (like when one sneezes) or through a handshake. It is true that colds occur more in cold weather, but that is because people become more gregarious and stay indoors more when it is cold. Cold drinks and cold environments can worsen an ongoing cold- because it causes constriction of the airways- but they are never the cause.
Charcoal makes for good toothpaste- MISCONCEPTION
It is true that activated charcoal (oxidized charcoal) is a good adsorbent and removes biological debris from the teeth, cleaning it in the process. However, it cannot be made a substitute for toothpaste due to its abrasive nature. Brushing the teeth with a gritty substance like activated charcoal every day, twice a day, will quickly erode the protective outer layer of enamel, exposing deeper, delicate structures of the teeth to mechanical and biological hazards. This will result in the development of degenerative and inflammatory conditions of the teeth and surrounding structures. There may be substitutes for tooth paste, but charcoal is not one of them.
I hope this has cleared up a lot of the doubts and concerns you had about the veracity of medical assertions friends and family were bandying about. Just because something makes sense does not make it true and just because something sounds silly does not make it false; it’s all about the science.
By: K.T. Nimako (MB ChB)
Dr. Kojo Nimako is a private medical practitioner with an interest in public health and Citi FM’s Chief Medical Correspondent. He is also the Executive Director of Helping Hand Medical Outreach, an NGO focused on health education.
E-mail: [email protected]
Twitter: @KTNimako